Kit Harington Nearly Lost a Testicle While Filming ‘Game of Thrones’

Kit Harington Almost Walked Away From Filming ‘Game of Thrones‘ With One Less Ball

Well, it appears that actor Kit Harington, the actor who plays Jon Snow in HBO’s Game of Thrones, knows at least one thing – he almost lost a part of his male anatomy while filming one of the most thrilling scenes of Season 8 so far.

In the epic scene of the new (and final) season’s premiere, Jon Snow takes to the skies with his lady love (and cousin) Daenerys Targaryen. The ex-King in the North, Jon Snow, fearlessly rides the dragon Rhaegal. Jon Snow holds on for dear life while Khaleesi soars next to him effortlessly across a wintery wonderland. The whole scene conjures up a sense of wonder, romance, high fantasy, and even a bit of laughter.

However, in reality, things were almost even more dire for Kit Harington than plunging to his death from the back of a soaring dragon. “Buck work is not easy,” actor Kit Harington said in a Marie Claire interview, describing the majestic Game of Thrones dragon-riding scene. A buck is the industry term for a large mechanical bull set before a green screen, allowing the actor to emulate riding any number of animals from horses to reptiles. Whether it’s a dragon or a mechanical bull, it is apparently difficult to ride and somewhat dangerous, at least for Harington.

“I think what sums up the buck for me was there was a bit where Jon almost falls off. It swings round really violently and my right ball got trapped and I didn't have time to say stop and I was being swung round,” Harington said in the interview. “In my head I thought 'this is how it ends, on this buck swinging me round by my testicles.' Literally.”

Despite the near-injury, Kit Harington kept a sense of humor about him, capping off the short story with a TMI disclaimer. “Probably too much information,” he said.